30 Jul 2019 13:06:34
Rumours really starting to gather pace now. I would be surprised if we don't see a couple in by the end of the week.

Maguire looks like it's going to happen. He's not who I would have chosen but the lad has talent and is strong in areas we are weak in. So should be a solid signing.

Bruno Fernandes I think could be different class if he signs. He looks ready for that step up. Could easily add 15 goals and 15 assists to our side.

Milinkovic-Savic would be a good signing if/ when Pogba leaves. Similar player, not got the same ceiling but works much harder. Would prefer someone slightly more defensive, and have concerns that he would want to play in the advanced midfield positions that Fernandes works best in. But a would player all the same.

Not a huge fan of signing Dybala, he is super talented and could adapt well to the EPL. Yet he plays best as a No.10 and if we sign Bruno and SMS along with Mata, Lingard, Andreas Pereira and Gomes. We would already have 6 players who play their best football in that position.

Interested in the Dembele links, he could be a great replacement for Lukaku. Great off the ball movement and work rate, and clinical when through on goal.

Although I wouldn't be gutted if we didn't sign another forward. It would just mean more game time for Greenwood who I have high hopes for. Also Martial looks a different player in preseason, working harder off the ball, making more runs. He and Rashford could be about to have huge seasons.

Of the outs, Rojo, Darmian, Lukaku and Pogba have to leave. Jones, Matic and Young should only stay for one more season at most, but I wouldn't see a problem if they left this year.

1.) 30 Jul 2019
30 Jul 2019 14:27:08
Shappy,

Why bother with signings at all? We're already a good squad according to you who should be capable of fighting for top 4. Some others think its all about getting the best out of what we have and we will be fine. Let's all be positive for being positive's stake!

On a slightly more serious note what gives you any confidence that these signings will come in? I have no confidence in our negotiators who Ed002 has told us are amateurs to get any of these over the line.

Maguire I believe we will end up paying through the nose and finally get him because that is the bare minimum that is needed. The moment he signs for United the media will turn on the lad. Every time he gets skinned on the turn and beaten for pace (these aren't things he can improve. Pace is natural) he will be shown repeatedly on Sky and torn apart. Comparisons will no doubt be made to Van Dijk. Having Shaw who has awful positioning won't help him either.

Bruno Fernandes. Spurs have walked away calling Sporting amateurs (presumably over asking price) . United have refused to pay up and briefed the media that they are irritated with Sporting planting stories in the Portuguese media hyping up our interest to get a big price. Ed002 says we haven't made an acceptable offer. What gives you confidence that he could sign? I don't see us paying up what we refused to do all summer. I hope to be wrong. I see him as a transformational signing for our midfield.

SMS - Agree with your assessment. But his arrival depends on Pogba. There have been no offers for Pogba yet. We know we are refusing to accept swap deals (for some average players who we aren't interested in so that's the correct stance imo) . I doubt after what they've spent Madrid or Juve have the cash to pull it off given our asking price.

Dembele - He is decent. Nothing more. Will he want to sit on the bench and be backup to Rashford? Seriously doubt it. His arrival also depends on Lukaku who we seem to be pricing out of a move to Inter.

Dybala - A player who sees us as a step down. Agree with your assessment of where he plays. Makes no sense to me. But high wages. Flashy marketable name. Absolutely the wrong signing. Doesn't fit our tactics at all. Which makes him more likely than most of these. Di Maria 2.0

My assessment -

Our second best midfielder has left the club on a free and not been replaced. Our top scoring striker is probably going to leave and we're depending on Rashford who has issues with composure and never scored at the rate required and Martial who blows hot and cold.

Matic is done, his legs are gone and he is slow in possession and yet to be replaced.

We have failed to qualify for UCL which fouled up our move for Sancho on the right wing and probably Declan Rice.

We have failed to move Pogba on and seem to be holding onto a player who has wanted to leave for more than a year.

I chose my username on here because I thought there was too much negativity and even I think this a complete mess. Although I have high hopes from Greenwood and Wan Bissaka so its not all bad.

What I think we should've done - Made an enticing early offer for Longstaff before signing Wan Bissaka. Newcastle would've sold and had enough time to bring in a replacement and he wouldn't have been priced ridiculously pegging his value to the Wan Bissaka deal.

Made a good offer for Tielemans. We would've beaten Leicester to his signing. This would've addressed our immediate need in midfield and allowed Pogba to leave and even if we didn't get a decent offer we wouldn't have been reliant on Pogba. Simultaneously we should've either paid up (even over the odds) for Bruno Fernandes or James Maddison who are highly creative and one of them EPL proven. Maddison would've hit the ground running.

Then negotiated for Wan Bissaka and got him in. And finally we should've walked away from Leicester's ridiculous valuation of Maguire and moved on to Ruben Dias (but unlikely since UCL clubs competition) and perhaps ended up with Milenkovic or gone for Toby Alderweireld to stabilize the ship and ease Tuanzebe in next year.

We should've let Lukaku go and looked at older strikers who could be brought in on a year or two deal and evaluated options next year after seeing how Martial and Rashford had done with regards to goalscoring.

The one right thing we've done is not signed a RW although even that is by accident since we were in for Pepe but he has chosen to move elsewhere. Give Greenwood a real go there. As Sir Alex used to say give youth a chance and they will surprise you (basically what Spurs have done with Kane and Dele Alli and others)

I want to be positive. But the club has fouled up this summer and seems to lack a strategic brain who has been empowered to make these changes. We have the 6th best starting 11. 5th best manager of the Top 6 arguably 6th. And I think we have the 5th best squad (its better than Arsenal's imo) .

This was a real chance to invest early and strategically to hit the ground running and run away from a sorry Arsenal squad and a Chelsea without Hazard and cement ourselves in the top 4. We have blown it.

Best we can hope for right now is Maguire and Bruno Fernandes over the line but I suspect it will be Maguire and Dybala with Lukaku out.

2.) 30 Jul 2019
30 Jul 2019 14:35:35
Agree with all of that shappy.

If lukaku leaves, I'd like to see a RW as I feel it would give us more balance and an additional outlet. However dalot might be seen as an alternative for that role?

3.) 30 Jul 2019
30 Jul 2019 14:56:38
Agree with all of that Shappy.

We will look a totally different side in 12 months time and I hope Ole pulls it all together.

4.) 30 Jul 2019
30 Jul 2019 15:33:21
angelred, We have James who will be working in tandem with AWB on that right flank, however i would love to sign a left footed attacker in that wing.

5.) 30 Jul 2019
30 Jul 2019 15:44:46
James plays on the left becks.

6.) 30 Jul 2019
30 Jul 2019 16:19:28
Redfaith how many times has Maguire been done for pace at Leicester or England?

7.) 30 Jul 2019
30 Jul 2019 17:37:02
Great post, Shappy. Your positivity keeps this site worth reading, besides Ed 002's pearls of wisdom and Beast's increasingly infrequent outbursts.

Keep the faith, RedFaith. We are looking like having an upturn. I look forward to seeing a more dynamic midfield and attack this season.

Just started playing the new Women's Soccer Manager mobile game, and it's for some interesting differences from other manager games.

Come on you Reds!

8.) 30 Jul 2019
30 Jul 2019 17:37:02
Great post, Shappy. Your positivity keeps this site worth reading, besides Ed 002's pearls of wisdom and Beast's increasingly infrequent outbursts.

Keep the faith, RedFaith. We are looking like having an upturn. I look forward to seeing a more dynamic midfield and attack this season.

Just started playing the new Women's Soccer Manager mobile game, and it's for some interesting differences from other manager games.

Come on you Reds!

9.) 30 Jul 2019
30 Jul 2019 18:27:05
REDFAITH

You appear to be coming around to my previous thoughts about a lack of strategy and planning.

We have needed a centre half and here we are just over a week to go and it is last minute panic on the cards. It looks like our negotiators think that if we go to the wire the price will drop. Well, the selling clubs might think (and might be right) we will become more desperate and have to pay more.

If we sell a goal scoring centre forward and rely on Martial and Rashford who have not been prolific, I think there is a lack of goals, are we really going to pin our hopes on Greenwood? How is that planning?

There could be a sudden influx of players tomorrow but a part of me wonders whether we financially have to sell before we can buy.